Judd Gregg

Mr. GREGG

Mr. GREGG. I would suggest that this be a 10-minute vote since we had a break in the voting.

Mr. GREGG. Mr. President, this amendment would add $74 billion in spending and would increase taxes by $74 billion. It comes in the context of the fact that it would actually exceed the authorized level of IDEA as just reauthorized. In addition, it ignores the fact that this President has made a stronger commitment to IDEA than any President in history, especially in comparison to the prior President. This President has increased IDEA funding by 74 percent in his first 4 years in office, and he has made a commitment in this budget to add another $500 million in IDEA. It is obviously a classic tax-and-spend amendment, and I certainly hope my colleagues would defeat it. I ask for the yeas and nays.

Mr. GREGG. Mr. President, I recognize that there is a lot going on right now and I apologize for a touch of confusion, but if Senator Dayton has been yielded 1 minute as a result of a unanimous consent, we ask unanimous consent for 1 minute on our side in opposition.

Mr. GREGG. Mr. President, I suggest a voice vote on this amendment.

Mr. GREGG. I suggest we have a voice vote on this amendment.

Mr. GREGG. Why don't we reserve action on the Senator's amendment until we have a couple seconds to talk about it? Mr. President, I would like to clarify that the Allen amendment has been adopted.

Mr. GREGG. Mr. President, I reserve my time.

Mr. GREGG. I yield myself a minute off the managers' time. I was under the impression that the Senator's amendment took the funds from 920. Are you saying the Senator's amendment pays for this with an increase in taxes?

Mr. GREGG. That amendment was agreed to by unanimous consent, as modified, in a tranche of amendments we did earlier this evening. We will get this clarified, Mr. President.

Mr. GREGG. Is this the Allen amendment relative to NASA?

Mr. GREGG. Mr. President, the next amendment will be offered by the Senator from Pennsylvania.

Mr. GREGG. Mr. President, I suspect under the rules adopted earlier this evening, with the way things are going to be accounted for in the Appropriations Committee, the point of this amendment will be moot. I suggest a voice vote.

Mr. GREGG. Mr. President, the next amendment is an amendment from the Senator from Vermont.

Mr. GREGG. I suggest a voice vote on this amendment.

Mr. GREGG. Mr. President, the next amendment will be from the Senator from Wisconsin for 30 seconds. Amendment No. 258

Mr. GREGG. Mr. President, this amendment would raise taxes by $3.25 billion. It is a tax-and-spend amendment. There is absolutely no assurance that any of these funds would go as represented on the amendment. That would be a decision made by the proper authorizing or appropriating committee.

Mr. GREGG. Mr. President, the next item will be a 5-minute vote, with 1 minute to speak about it. It is Senator Dorgan's amendment.

Mr. GREGG. I move to lay that motion on the table. The motion to lay on the table was agreed to.

Mr. GREGG. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the amendment be agreed to.

Mr. GREGG. I thank the Senator.

Mr. GREGG. Mr. President, I yield a minute to the Senator from California to make a comment on her amendment.

Mr. GREGG. This will be a 10-minute vote, Mr. President.

Mr. GREGG. Mr. President, this amendment creates a point of order on language which probably is not able to be given a conciseness that would make it effective. What does ``prepackaging'' mean? It would be virtually impossible to exercise this point of order, and I think it would set a bad precedent for the Senate to create such a point of order. I oppose the amendment. Mr. President, I ask for the yeas and nays.

Mr. GREGG. Is the amendment at the desk?

Mr. GREGG. Mr. President, it is now our plan to recess until 7:45, at which time we will vote on the Boxer amendment. That is what we will vote on at 7:45. It will be a 10-minute vote and we will hold that 10- minute vote. In other words, there will not be any effort to go past 10 minutes. We will close it out after 10 minutes. I ask unanimous consent that we recess until 7:45 and at 7:45 we shall vote on the Boxer amendment which has been submitted to both sides.